This invention relates to compositions suitable for use as a frying fat or oil, to a method of producing a fried food and to a food product which has been fried in a composition.
A number of food products are prepared by a process which comprises the step of frying in a hot fat or oil. The resulting food products may be eaten hot or cold.
Palm oil is a semi-solid fat used in various applications, including in foodstuffs. Palm oil is typically fractionated into a lower melting olein fraction and a higher melting stearin fraction.
EP-A-0081881 describes a process for the solvent fractionation of palm oil stearins. The liquid fraction can be used as a cooking oil. The fraction contains less than 50% saturated fatty acids (see Table F).
JP 09322708 discloses an oil and fat for frying donuts. The composition is a blend of unfractionated palm oil with vegetable oil. The inventors believe that such a blend will have a saturated fatty acid content of less than 50%.
JP-A-2000125765 describes an oil and fat composition comprising a blend of palm oil fractions.
JP-A-02214799 describes the production of refined palm oil for use in frying.
JP-A-06113741 discloses an oil or fat for frying which is a blend of a palm fraction with a hardened oil. The composition is described as suppressing mold-like whitening of a fried product on storage.
EP-A-0797921 discloses a frying fat or oil derived from palm oil or a mixture of palm oil with a liquid vegetable oil. The composition has a saturated fatty acid content of 25 to 48% by weight.
There remains a need for frying fats or oils that show a reduced tendency to oil out from the fried food product and that are less waxy.